The big lines continue to fall at Porth Ysgo – on Friday Pete Robins bagged the first ascent of the dramatic steep arête left of Left Said Fred. The line of Jim’ll Fix It! 7B+ had been tried by a few folk, most notably Jim McCormack, who got close to the top just before Christmas. The top section of the arête was proving the real stopping point and before Friday no-one had managed to do it even as a stand up line.

First off Pete cracked the sequence, with some characteristically neat footwork, and topped out with a grade of 7A+/B for the standing start. He then dropped down to the bottom and figured out the tricky and powerful lower section leading up from a match in the low crack. An efficient redpoint followed and Porth Ysgo had gained a brand new super classic.

Elsewhere a number of previously undocumented lines were climbed. Best of the bunch was Jack Rattenbury’s Panty Party 7A – a steep bear hugging sds grappling with steep ground just right of the arête, right of Shredded Feet in Area 8. The start on large sidepull (left) and undercut (right) is obvious. Two further 6Bish lines were done to the right (one of which is a sds to Problem 6) by Jack and Dave Evans, and Jack climbed a 5+ line rising up from the prominent finger jug left of Panty Party. And finally in this area, Dave climbed the superb sds to the Shredded Feet arête at 6B.

Below the Closer block Si Panton climbed the obvious steep sds just right of the arete right of Problem 9. A bomber leg cam on the block underneath proved to be the key to this rather fine 6B+.

And lastly in Area 2, Si climbed There is no God 6C+ - a sds up the slopey arête/shoulder just right of the finish of Higginson Scar RH. A series of slappy moves terminate with a mantel into the scoop.

Relevant links: